Environmental Hazards and

Human HealthChapter 17

Core Case Study: The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic Acquired immune deficiency syndrome

(AIDS) caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); many secondary infections

No vaccine to prevent or cure AIDS Expensive drugs—live longer 30 Million deaths, so far (as of Dec. 2010); alter

country’s age structure

Global Outlook: Worldwide, AIDS Is the Leading Cause of Death for Ages 15–49

Gapminder.org

Life expectancy + %HIV infection

17-1 What Major Health Hazards Do We Face? Concept 17-1 People face health hazards from

biological, chemical, physical, and cultural factors, and from the lifestyle choices they make.

Risks Are Usually Expressed as Probabilities Risk – likelihood something will cause harm Probability (likelihood) and possibility (could

happen) Risk Assessment – using statistics to

estimate how much harm a hazard can cause Risk Management – making decisions to

minimize risk

Watch out for anecdotal evidence…

“My teacher never smoked a day in his life and got lung cancer.”

“My grandmother smoked 2 packs a day and didn’t get lung cancer.”

Both cases are possible. The first case is not as probable. One in 6,250 nonsmokers die of lung cancer, whereas one in 250 smokers will die of lung cancer.

Science: Risk Assessment and Risk Management

We Face Many Types of Hazards Five major types of hazards• Biological: pathogens (virus, bacteria, fungi,

parasites, protozoa)• Chemical• Physical• Cultural• Lifestyle choices

17-2 What Types of Biological Hazards Do We Face? Concept 17-2 In terms of death rates, the most

serious infectious diseases are flu, AIDS, diarrheal diseases, malaria, and tuberculosis; most of these deaths occur in developing countries.

Some Diseases Can Spread from One Person to Another Nontransmissible disease (non-pathogenic, non-

transmissible) Infectious disease (caused by pathogens)• Transmissible disease (contagious or communicable

disease) Since 1950, death from infectious diseases have

declined due to:• Better health care• Antibiotics• Vaccines

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs = YLL+YLD)

Major Causes of Death in the World and in the United States in 2005

Why is our cancer % higher than average?

Infectious Diseases Are Still Major Health Threats Infectious diseases spread through• Air• Water• Food• Body fluids

Epidemics and pandemics Resistance of bacteria and insects

Science: Pathways for Infectious Diseases in Humans

Self-Study

The World’s 7 Deadliest Infectious Diseases Kill 12.5 Million People

What is MDR TB?

Science Focus: Genetic Resistance to Antibiotics Is Increasing Bacteria: rapid reproduction, easily spread Over use of antibiotics Over use of pesticides Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

(MRSA)• Resistant to most antibiotics• Symptoms of MRSA• How will it be controlled?

Self-Study

Case Study: The Growing Global Threat from Tuberculosis Why is tuberculosis on the rise?• Not enough screening and control programs• Genetic resistance to a majority of effective

antibiotics• Person-to-person contact has increased• AIDS individuals are very susceptible to TB

Self-Study

Some Viral Diseases Kill Large Numbers of People (1) Influenza or flu virus• #1 Killer• Transmission – body fluids or airborne emissions

HIV• #2 Killer• Antiviral drugs – slow the progress, but cost a lot

Some Viral Diseases Kill Large Numbers of People (2) Global strategy to slow down the spread of HIV• Reduce the number of new infections• Concentrate on those most likely to spread HIV• Free testing• Education for prevention• Provide free or low-cost drugs• Research

Some Viral Diseases Kill Large Numbers of People (3) Hepatitis B virus (HBV)• #3 Killer• Mode of transmission

Viruses that move form animals to humans• West Nile virus• Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

Reduce chances of infection: Wash your hands (why are hand sanitizers bad? When are they

good?)

Tracking the Spread of Infectious Diseases to Humans from Other Animals Ecological medicine Human practices that encourage the spread of

diseases from animals to humans Emerging infections• HIV• SARS• West Nile virus• Lyme virus

Case Study: Malaria—Death by Parasite-Carrying Mosquitoes (1) Malaria• Caused by Plasmodium sp. carried by Anopheles

mosquitoes • Spread• Symptoms• Malarial cycle

Malaria on the rise since 1970• Drug resistant Plasmodium• Insecticide resistant mosquitoes • Effect of global warming• AIDS patients particularly vulnerable

Prevention of spread and current research

Malaria videoSee also videos in APES file.

Global Outlook: Distribution of Malaria and Mosquito nets

We Can Reduce the Incidence of Infectious Diseases Good news• Vaccinations on the rise• Oral rehydration therapy

Bad news• More money needed for medical research in

developing countries

Why help “them”, again??

Let’s revisit semester 1• Human population is changing ______________• HIPPCO stands for____________• Should we work to increase life expectancies? • Would that increase the total population further?• What about demographic transition?

Solutions: Infectious Diseases, Ways to Prevent or Reduce Their Occurrence

Self-Study

17-3 What Types of Chemical Hazards Do We Face? Concept 17-3 There is growing concern about

chemicals that can cause birth defects and cancers and disrupt the human immune, nervous, and endocrine systems.

Some Chemicals Can Cause Cancers, Mutations, and Birth Defects

Toxic chemicals• Carcinogens• Mutagens• Teratogens

Is molecular shape really important?! YES! Thalidomide is an unfortunate

example.

Thalidomide has two forms:

Thalidomide seemed great…

It was used as • a sleep aid • an anti-emetic (helps with nausea).• for other diseases

It passed testing

It was never approved by the US FDA. But in many other countries

It caused no problems in mice, rats, dogs

It was even tested on pregnant rats There seemed to be no negative

affects.

Thalidomide was given to pregnant women. In the first three months of

pregnancy, many women have nausea and vomiting.

Thalidomide was given and worked great to stop this “morning sickness”.

Birth defects occurred. When the babies were born,

many had severe birth defects. These resulted in shortening of

the long bones of the arms and/or legs.

More testing was done.

Testing was done on pregnant primates. The same birth defects occurred.

The FDA had required some drugs to be tested on a primate, before humans, but no longer does. Is that a good thing?

So what happened?

There are two forms of the drug. One has no negative affects. One is teratogenic. The two forms are both formed during

synthesis, but could be separated. What’s the difference between the two

forms? Only a minor difference in shape.

Case Study: PCBs Are Everywhere—A Legacy from the Past

Class of chlorine-containing compounds• Very stable• Nonflammable• Break down slowly in the environment• Travel long distances in the air• Fat soluble• Biomagnification• Food chains and webs

Banned, but found everywhere

Potential Pathways on Which Toxic Chemicals Move Through the Environment

Some Chemicals May Affect Our Immune, Nervous, and Endocrine Systems (1) Some natural and synthetic chemicals in the

environment can weaken and harm• Immune system• Nervous system• Endocrine system

Some Chemicals May Affect Our Immune, Nervous, and Endocrine Systems (2) Hormonally active agents (HAAs) • Gender benders• Thyroid disrupters • Toxic chemicals

Phthlates Effects on the endocrine system Cancer

Science Focus: Mercury’s Toxic Effects (1) Hg: teratogen and potent neurotoxin• Once airborne, persistent and not degradable• 1/3 from natural sources• 2/3 from human activities• Enters the food chain: biomagnificationSelf-Study

Science Focus: Mercury’s Toxic Effects (2) 2007: Hg hotspots identified How are humans exposed?• Inhalation: vaporized Hg or particulates of

inorganic salts• Eating fish with high levels of methylmercury

Effects of Hg on humans Who is most at risk?Self-Study

Science: Cycling of Mercury in Aquatic Environments

Self-Study

Solutions: Mercury Pollution

Self-Study

Hormones and Hormones Mimics or Blockers

Science Focus: Bisphenol A Estrogen mimic Found in many common products Laboratory findings Effects on human health Should it be banned? Self-Study

17-4 How Can We Evaluate and Deal with Chemical Hazards? Concept 17-4A Scientists use live laboratory

animals, non-animal tests, case reports of poisonings, and epidemiological studies to estimate the toxicity of chemicals, but these methods have limitations.

Concept 17-4B Many health scientists call for much greater emphasis on pollution prevention to reduce our exposure to potentially harmful candidates.

Many Factors Determine the Harmful Health Effects of a Chemical (1) Toxicology Toxicity dependent on• Dose • Age• Genetic makeup • Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) • Solubility and persistence of the chemical• Biomagnification

Response• Acute effect• Chronic effect

Science: Estimating Human Exposure to Chemicals and Measuring Their Effects

Case Study: Protecting Children from Toxic Chemicals Analysis of umbilical cord blood: significance Infants and children more susceptible to the

toxic effects of chemicals than adults• Eat, drink water, and breathe more per unit of

body weight than adults• Put their fingers in their mouths• Less well-developed immune systems and body

detoxification processesSelf-Study

Scientists Use Live Lab Animals and Nonanimal Tests to Estimate Toxicity Dose-response curve: median lethal dose

(LD50) • Nonthreshold dose-response model• Threshold dose-response model

More humane methods using animals Replace animals with other models• Computer simulations• Tissue culture and individual animal cells• Chicken egg membranes

Self-Study

Hypothetical Dose-Response Curve Showing Determination of the LD50

Self-Study

Toxicity Ratings and Average Lethal Doses for Humans

Self-Study

Two Types of Dose- Response Curves

Self-Study

There Are Other Ways to Estimate the Harmful Effects of Chemicals Case reports and epidemiological studies Limitations of epidemiological studies• Too few people tested• Length of time• Can you link the result with the chemical?• Can not be used for new hazards

Are Trace Levels of Toxic Chemicals Harmful? We do not know Are the dangers increasing or are the tests just

more sensitive?

Some Potentially Harmful Chemicals Found in Most Homes

Why Do We Know So Little about the Harmful Effects of Chemicals? Severe limitations estimating toxicity levels and

risks Acceptable levels vary between 1/100 and

1/1000 of the estimated harmful levels

Self-Study

Pollution Prevention and the Precautionary Principle Those introducing a new chemical or new

technology would have to follow new strategies• A new product is considered harmful until it can

be proved to be safe• Existing chemicals and technologies that appear

to cause significant harm must be removed 2000: global treaty to ban or phase out the dirty

dozen (POPs)Self-Study

Individuals Matter: Ray Turner and His Refrigerator 1974: Ozone layer being depleted by

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 1992: International agreement to phase out

CFCs and other ozone-destroying chemicals Ray Turner: citrus-based solvents to clean circuit

boardsSelf-Study

17-5 How Do We Perceive Risks and How Can We Avoid the Worst of Them? Concept 17-5 We can reduce the major risks

we face if we become informed, think critically about risks, and make careful choices.

The Greatest Health Risks Come from Poverty, Gender, and Lifestyle Choices Risk analysis Greatest health risks• Poverty• Gender• Lifestyle choices

Comparative Risk Analysis: Most Serious Ecological and Health Problems

Global Outlook: Number of Deaths per Year in the World from Various Causes

Case Study: Death from Smoking

Most preventable major cause of suffering and premature death

Nicotine: additive Effects of passive smoking (secondhand

smoke) How to reduce smoking• Taxes• Ban• Classify and regulate nicotine• Education and TV advertisement• Print media advertisements

Annual Deaths in the U.S. from Tobacco Use and Other Causes in 2004

Several Principles Can Help Us to Evaluate and Reduce Risk Compare risks Determine how much you are willing to accept Determine the actual risk involved Concentrate on evaluating and carefully making

important lifestyle choicesSelf-Study